Central Medical Universities: AIIMS, BHU, JIPMER – Pros and Cons.

Hello future doctors. In the medical profession, your college shapes your career. This makes college choice an incredibly difficult job, especially with the variety of options out there. The most common dilemma in the minds of students is the State VS Central dilemma. We all know that AIIMS Delhi is the most sought after medical college in India, and it is undoubtedly a deserved position.

But what about other AIIMS colleges? What about JIPMER colleges? What about the top medical colleges in your state? What is the better choice?

Well it’s not a one word answer, so let’s discuss and find out.

Central Universities

Central universities are, as the name suggests, run by the central government of India. They are not run by the state government of the state that they are located in. For example, AIIMS Nagpur is not run by the government of Maharashtra.

They are independent universities. The director of the university gets funds from the central government and uses them to run the college.

The most popular ones are the AIIMS colleges. AIIMS stands for ‘All India Institutes of Medical Sciences. AIIMS New Delhi was the first one to be established in 1956. Then the other AIIMS colleges were gradually established. Let’s checkout the details of these colleges:

Apart from AIIMS colleges, AMU, BHU and JIPMER also fall into the central universities.

What are the advantages of a central university?

First and foremost thing to remember when we talk about the advantages of a central university is that it does not apply to all the central universities. Up and coming, recently constructed institutes might not share these advantages. They might be the polar opposite of what I am writing.

That’s enough disclaimer, let’s now start discussing the lavish med-student dream life you will be living in these colleges.

Funding and Resources

Central institutes have much better infrastructure and facilities. This is obviously a direct correlation to the funding that these colleges get, they get a lot of money from the government.

This means better labs, better campus, better libraries and classrooms. They are a LOT better than state universities, there is no doubt here.

The Reputation

Now, if you talk to someone from the US, they might not know your state colleges but they might have heard the name of AIIMS Delhi.

Most central institutions often rank higher in national and global rankings and have a better reputation too. A degree from a good central university will have a lot of weight in your professional life, especially while applying for Post Graduation- competitive exam.

But, remember what I said in the beginning. You cannot just assume that a central university will hold better status than state colleges. Most of the newer AIIMS are not as established and well known as some older state universities.

Students from all over the country

Central Universities have no state quota. For Eg, AIIMS Nagpur does not quota for students from Maharashtra. 

Now you can think about this 2 ways:
Firstly, it results in a lot of cultural diversity and thus connections from all over the country.
But, if you are planning to settle in your state itself, you can benefit by having a lot of connections within the state rather than having a widespread network across India.

Research Opportunities

As I already said, central institutes have good funding and thus good resources. Thus you will get better research opportunities. 

They often have dedicated research centres and collaborations with international institutions too. You will have a very good CV when you leave.

The academics are crazy good

Central universities maintain rigorous academic standards, and thus ensure a high-quality education. Most of these institutes are either very well established already or extremely new. 

The older ones are well known and respected and so they maintain a standard of education. The newer ones are also strict with the studies and attendance to match up to the set standard.

Most students from these universities say that the lectures are great and the method of teaching is good too.

National and International Exposure

A lot of national and international conferences are held in central colleges. Students have access to various national and international exchange programs, seminars, and conferences. 

Networking is really important in the medical profession and these colleges make sure that you build a great network in your Neet UG days.

The Alumni! 

The wide network of alumni can be beneficial for mentorship, networking, and career opportunities. You can find alumni in every position, all over the world.

But this is only applicable if you are part of the older college and the alumni network is very extensive and very strong. 

No bond 

Most state colleges have a 1-5 year rural service bond compulsory for all students. This means that when you are done with your degree, you will be assigned duty in a nearby village, you can continue with practice or higher studies only when you complete this duty.

Most state colleges also have a discontinuation bond, which says that if you choose to leave the degree midway you will have to pay a big amount of money to the institute.

Central colleges don’t have this duty bond. While a handful of them have the discontinuation bond, most don’t have that too. This can allow you to get a headstart on your career.

Very low fees  

Some central colleges have fees as low as 5000 rs a year. Seriously? Your monthly food ration costs more than this. It is a great motivation to soak in as much knowledge as you can.

Big campus

I am mentioning this again because I did not stress on it enough. A big campus is a big plus. MBBS is very isolating and tiring, you don’t even get enough time to go out and have fun. Most times, you just want to escape it all.

When you have a big campus, it’s easier to escape. You could just roam around in the evening or even find that one spot where you can sit alone in the morning. It becomes home.

Fests

All of us go for the AIIMS Delhi fest ‘PULSE’. It’s the best fest and the most fun we have in our college days. Every other central university has its own fest which invites students from all over the country. Big funding, large concert grounds, standup comedy, DJ night, you name it.

Other central universities like BHU also hold great festivals, adding to the overall cultural appeal.

Hostel

Funding again. As I said, the central universities get ample funding for functioning alone. So the hostels are very comfortable. You can also get single rooms since the start in a lot of AIIIMS colleges, whereas in state universities you might have to share a room with 7 people for a while (cry emoji)

The Title

Do I even have to elaborate on this reason? Central universities are brands. The title of ‘AIIMS’ is enough to turn heads and make people look at you in awe. Graduating from a central college is the biggest badge of honour on your life accomplishments. They have and always will be worthy of respect and honour.

So as we saw, the reputation of central universities precedes them. What you hear in general is true. The facilities, the opportunities, the respect, everything is top notch. Then why do some toppers prefer state colleges? Are there any downsides to central universities? 

Let’s find out.

The bad side

All the good things that I just told you do not apply to all central colleges. Most of these colleges have opened recently and are subpar in a lot of aspects.

The Location 

Although some central colleges are located in the most developed and metropolitan cities in India, most of them are not. Except for a handful, most of these are not located in major cities, which might not be convenient for all students. They are situated far from the main city and that may feel isolating. 

Regardless of how good and happening your college life and campus is, you might miss the ‘alone time’. There’s not a lot of places one can escape to in a small city.

Far away from home 

The distant and isolated location has another downside. You might have come very far from home and it might lead to homesickness. The bigger cities offer a lot of cheap and frequent travel options. The smaller ones might not have a lot of outgoing trains or flights or an airport or even a train station.

You might have difficulty traveling to and fro, might have to celebrate your festivals at the hostel and might also have to give up on important family events.

Now you can also call this an advantage, since away from home means freedom and the ability to have fun without being called out for it. Each to their own.

No state pg quota 

This is tricky, so read carefully. A student who has studied MBBS from a state institute, can enjoy the benefit of that state’s quota. Meaning he is now eligible to get admission based on the state quota preferences. 

But, if a student studies from an AIIMS college, he will get an internal quota only in that specific college. He has no quota in other central institutes and cannot apply for the state quota of his home state. 

I will explain this in detail in another blog.

Lack Of Infrastructure

You might think I’m contradicting myself, but what I mean to say is that all the good things that I talked about, apply to the top 50% Central universities only. 

The newer colleges have made news highlights for not having good facilities or even a functioning classroom. Students are forced to go to nearby colleges to attend lectures and there is no real faculty assigned.

Some of these institutes are just a makeshift model of a college. So, I urge you to find out everything about the University before you complete your choice filling.

Lesser Number of Seniors

Again we come back to talking about the newer ones. Newer colleges have lesser batches that are passed out. Some might have just opened and you will be applying for the first batch.

This will result in lesser one-to-one guidance and a feeling of isolation.

Patient inflow 

Now this point totally depends on the institute in question. The top most colleges like AIIMS Delhi is the best exposure you can get, there will be people coming from all over India and maybe from different parts of the world to get treated.

But again, we cannot say the same for peripheral institutes. They might now have enough patient inflow. The isolated location, and the limited travel options to and fro the hospital might play a role in this case.

High Competition

The competition that you cleared to get into the college is nothing compared to the competition you might face in the college. Let me tell you, central universities take the top prize for being the most competitive spheres out there, NEET has got nothing on them. Strict administration compels students to take their academics seriously. Maybe a little too seriously for their mental health.

While some people thrive in the competition, others find it difficult to fit in. ‘Imposter syndrome’ is very common among us medicos, it won’t take time to feel like you don’t belong. 

Language Barrier

A new state usually comes with a new language. In medicine, knowing the regional language is an obligation. If you cannot speak in the patient’s language, you can learn nothing from them during clinical postings and thus cannot treat them in your internship.

It is very challenging to learn a new language while studying MBBS.

So what is the final decision?

Choosing a college is based on a lot of factors and personal preferences. While I cannot list everything about every institute in one blog, I have tried to list down some of the factors that you should definitely factor in before choosing between state and central universities.

I will be writing another blog to detail all the advantages and disadvantages of state universities.

Till then, my advice is to take your time, and slowly understand what college you want to select. It is not a 5 minute decision after all.

That’s all for this blog.